Southwire CAT 6 23 AWG 4-Pair Riser Blue Data Cable 500-Foot Pull Box – Model 56918945

The Southwire CAT 6 500 ft riser-rated data cable (Model 56918945) is the structured cabling pull box that matches the actual cable consumption of typical residential and small commercial multi-drop installations. As a CAT 6 500 ft pull box, this product delivers the same premium Southwire CAT 6 specification used on larger contractor-scale rolls, sized for the 4 to 7 drop residential rough-in projects that consume approximately 300 to 500 feet of cable. As Southwire 56918945, this specific SKU represents the genuine sweet spot in the Southwire CAT 6 size lineup, offering the best per-foot price of any CAT 6 format in the catalog while right-sizing the cable quantity for typical home and small business needs. The CAT 6 blue 500 ft riser uses the industry-standard blue jacket coloring of all CAT 6 specifications, instantly distinguishable from CAT 5e (gray) and CAT 6a (green) cables in mixed installations or future repair work. As a CAT 6 home network cable, the Southwire CAT 6 500 ft is the right specification when premium performance matters for the residential network: 10-Gigabit Ethernet readiness for future hardware upgrades, PoE++ capability for high-power wireless access points and IP cameras, and the thicker 23 AWG conductor that delivers better signal performance than CAT 5e for long-term network reliability. Every Southwire CAT 6 500 ft pull box ships nationwide from IB Lighting with free freight. Manufacturer specifications are available at the official Southwire website.

Southwire CAT 6 500 ft Key Highlights

Why 500 ft Is the Sweet Spot of the Entire CAT 6 Lineup

The Southwire CAT 6 500 ft occupies a genuinely meaningful position in the Southwire CAT 6 size lineup that goes beyond simple “middle size” framing. The 500-foot format delivers the lowest per-foot cost of any CAT 6 length in the lineup, which makes it the right economic choice for buyers consuming 200 to 500 feet of cable rather than defaulting to the larger 1000-foot bulk roll.

This pricing dynamic is somewhat unusual in bulk product economics, where larger quantities almost always deliver better per-unit pricing. The Southwire CAT 6 500 ft breaks that pattern: it costs less per foot than both the 100-foot single-run format AND the 1000-foot bulk format. The reason has to do with packaging and distribution economics specific to this product format rather than the raw cable cost, but the practical buyer-side consequence is clear: if your project consumes 200 to 500 feet of cable, the Southwire CAT 6 500 ft delivers the lowest total project cost.

The format also right-sizes for residential consumption patterns. A typical single-family home structured cabling installation covering 4 to 7 wall-jack drops consumes approximately 300 to 500 feet of cable, which matches the 500-foot pull box capacity almost exactly. The buyer gets enough cable to complete the project with modest buffer for routing variations, without paying for unused capacity (as happens with the 1000-foot roll on smaller projects) and without the premium per-foot pricing of the 100-foot single-run format.

The premium specification is maintained throughout the size lineup. The Southwire CAT 6 500 ft delivers the same 23 AWG conductors, 250 MHz bandwidth, internal spline separator, and CMR riser rating as the larger and smaller rolls. The performance is identical; only the format and pricing differ.

Per-Foot Pricing Across the CAT 6 Format Lineup

Understanding the per-foot economics of the three Southwire CAT 6 formats helps clarify why the 500-foot length matters specifically. The pricing structure for the Southwire CAT 6 catalog:

• Southwire CAT 6 100 ft: Approximately $0.30 per foot at the 100-foot total length. Higher per-foot cost reflects the single-run packaging premium.
• Southwire CAT 6 500 ft (this product): Approximately $0.174 per foot at the 500-foot total length. Lowest per-foot cost in the lineup.
• Southwire CAT 6 1000 ft: Approximately $0.185 per foot at the 1000-foot total length. Higher per-foot cost than the 500-foot format.

This pricing structure changes the typical buying decision in a meaningful way. For projects consuming up to 500 feet of cable, buying the Southwire CAT 6 500 ft delivers both the right quantity AND the best per-foot economics. For projects consuming 600 to 1000 feet, the math gets more complex: buying one 500-foot roll plus one 100-foot roll (600 feet total at $145 total, $0.242 per foot blended) costs more than buying the 1000-foot roll ($185 at $0.185 per foot). At consumption levels above 1000 feet, multiple 1000-foot rolls is straightforward.

The practical buyer decision tree: if you need 500 feet or less, the Southwire CAT 6 500 ft is the right choice. If you need 600 to 1000 feet, the Southwire CAT 6 1000 ft is the right choice. If you need just one cable of 50 to 100 feet, the Southwire CAT 6 100 ft is the right choice. This three-tier sizing lineup covers most practical residential and small commercial structured cabling needs efficiently.

Right-Sized for Home Structured Cabling Projects

The Southwire CAT 6 500 ft is specifically right-sized for typical home structured cabling projects. Understanding what these projects look like helps confirm the right format choice for your specific situation.

A typical residential structured cabling rough-in project covers wall-jack drops to the following locations:

• Home office or study (1 to 2 jacks): Primary workstation drop plus optional secondary drop for printer or NAS.
• Master bedroom (1 jack): For smart-home equipment, streaming devices, or future remote work.
• Family room or living room (1 to 2 jacks): For media streaming devices, gaming consoles, smart TV equipment.
• Kitchen (1 jack): For smart kitchen displays, security panel, or future smart-home equipment.
• Basement or recreation room (1 to 2 jacks): For entertainment setups, gaming PCs, or home office workspace.
• Strategic ceiling locations (1 to 2 access point drops): For whole-home WiFi coverage from PoE-powered wireless access points.

Total drop count for a typical single-family home structured cabling project is 4 to 7 wall-jack drops plus optional ceiling access point drops. At average drop length of 50 to 80 feet (accounting for routing through stud bays and ceiling joists), total cable consumption is approximately 200 to 560 feet. The Southwire CAT 6 500 ft covers this comfortably for typical home configurations.

For homes larger than typical (3,500+ square feet, multi-story with the network closet at one end of the building, or installations covering 8+ drops), step up to the larger Southwire CAT 6 1000 ft. For installations of only 1 to 2 drops or single-cable replacements, the smaller Southwire CAT 6 100 ft is more economical. For budget-constrained projects where premium specification is not required, the equivalent-length Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft delivers Gigabit performance at lower cost.

Smart Home and Home Automation Applications

Smart home installations are increasingly the primary driver of premium structured cabling demand in residential construction. The Southwire CAT 6 500 ft is particularly well-suited to smart home applications because the CAT 6 specification delivers several capabilities that smart home equipment specifically requires.

Key smart home applications that benefit from the Southwire CAT 6 500 ft:

• PoE-powered wireless access points throughout the home: Whole-home WiFi coverage typically requires 2 to 4 PoE-powered access points strategically located in ceilings. Each access point requires a dedicated CAT 6 drop back to the central network switch.
• IP-based security cameras: Smart home security systems use PoE-powered IP cameras at 4 to 8 typical locations (front door, back door, garage, key indoor monitoring points). Each camera requires a dedicated CAT 6 drop.
• Smart home hub and panel locations: Central smart home control panels, alarm panels, and automation hubs all benefit from hard-wired CAT 6 connectivity rather than relying on WiFi.
• Video doorbell and intercom integration: Modern smart doorbells and intercom systems use PoE through CAT 6 for both power and data, eliminating separate power wiring to door locations.
• Network-based AV distribution: Whole-home audio systems and distributed video systems use CAT 6 for the network backbone connecting source equipment to room endpoints.
• Building automation and HVAC controls: Modern smart thermostats, smart HVAC controllers, and building automation systems use IP networking for cloud connectivity and remote management.
• Gaming and entertainment endpoints: Gaming PCs, gaming consoles, smart TVs, and streaming devices all benefit from hard-wired CAT 6 over WiFi for stable bandwidth and low latency.

For typical smart home installations covering these applications, the cable consumption frequently lands in the 300 to 500 foot range. The Southwire CAT 6 500 ft is the right format and the right specification for these smart home cabling rough-ins.

What CAT 6 Specification Delivers

CAT 6 is governed by the TIA/EIA-568-B.2-1 specification and represents the premium tier above CAT 5e in residential and commercial structured cabling. The Southwire CAT 6 500 ft delivers the full CAT 6 specification with all its performance advantages over the older CAT 5e standard.

The CAT 6 specification advantages versus CAT 5e: 250 MHz signaling bandwidth (compared to CAT 5e’s 100 MHz), 23 AWG copper conductors (compared to CAT 5e’s 24 AWG), tighter electrical performance requirements for return loss and near-end crosstalk, 10-Gigabit Ethernet support up to 55 meters (CAT 5e officially supports only Gigabit Ethernet), and an internal spline separator that physically maintains pair separation throughout the cable length.

For residential and small commercial installations specifically, the CAT 6 advantages translate into meaningful real-world benefits: support for emerging multi-Gigabit internet service from ISPs that some markets are now rolling out, better performance for high-bandwidth applications like 4K streaming and large file transfers, improved PoE delivery efficiency for the PoE-powered devices common in smart home installations, and meaningful future-proofing for the 15-20 year structured cabling lifespan that most homeowners expect.

The Southwire CAT 6 500 ft maintains all these CAT 6 specifications in the 500-foot pull box format. There is no performance compromise associated with the smaller format compared to the 1000-foot bulk roll; the cable itself is identical, only the packaging differs.

23 AWG Conductor Advantage in Practical Use

The 23 AWG copper conductors in the Southwire CAT 6 500 ft are meaningfully thicker than the 24 AWG conductors in CAT 5e cabling, and this conductor gauge advantage delivers genuine performance benefits in everyday network operation.

The conductor gauge directly affects three performance areas. First, signal attenuation: thicker conductors have lower DC resistance, which means signal amplitude decreases less over the cable length. Over a 100-meter maximum run, the 23 AWG conductor delivers stronger signal at the far end than 24 AWG, providing additional margin for the receiver to recover the data signal reliably. Second, near-end crosstalk rejection: the slightly larger pair diameter created by 23 AWG conductors produces slightly greater physical separation between adjacent pairs, reducing the electromagnetic coupling that creates crosstalk. Third, current capacity: thicker conductors carry more current with less voltage drop and less heat generation, which matters significantly for Power over Ethernet applications.

The PoE advantage is the most practical 23 AWG benefit for typical residential and small commercial installations. The Southwire CAT 6 500 ft supports the full PoE family including PoE (15.4W), PoE+ (30W), PoE++ Type 3 (60W), and PoE++ Type 4 (100W). For installations powering modern wireless access points (often 30W+), PTZ security cameras, video conferencing endpoints, smart-home hubs, and similar high-current PoE devices, the 23 AWG conductor delivers cleaner power with less voltage drop and less heat.

For smart home and modern residential network installations specifically, where multiple PoE devices may be distributed throughout the structure, the 23 AWG conductor advantage is genuinely meaningful. Each PoE device benefits from cleaner power delivery, and the network performance margin under load is better than equivalent CAT 5e installations.

Internal Spline Separator: The CAT 6 Construction Difference

One of the most visible physical differences between the Southwire CAT 6 500 ft and CAT 5e cable is the internal spline separator inside the CAT 6 jacket. The spline is a cross-shaped (or X-shaped) plastic separator that runs the length of the cable, physically holding the four twisted pairs in separate quadrants rather than allowing them to lie randomly against each other inside the jacket.

The spline serves a specific signal performance function. The largest source of crosstalk in twisted pair cabling is electromagnetic coupling between adjacent pairs, which is most significant when the pairs are physically close together. By forcing each twisted pair into its own quadrant of the cable cross-section, the spline maintains consistent separation between pairs along the entire cable length. This consistent separation is what enables CAT 6 to achieve its 250 MHz bandwidth specification with reliable signal performance.

When terminating the Southwire CAT 6 500 ft at jacks and patch panels, the spline must be cut back to the jacket edge but the twist pattern of each pair should be maintained. Strip about 1 inch of jacket back at each termination, cut the spline flush with the jacket edge, then untwist each pair only as far as needed to reach the termination contacts (typically less than 1/2 inch of untwist). Excessive untwist at the termination point degrades the cable’s near-end crosstalk performance and can prevent 10-Gigabit operation even though the cable itself is rated for it.

10-Gigabit Ethernet Capability

The headline performance advantage of the Southwire CAT 6 500 ft over CAT 5e is reliable 10-Gigabit Ethernet (10GBASE-T) support at run lengths up to 55 meters (180 feet). This capability is genuinely meaningful for installations where 10-Gigabit may be needed at the device location, even if it is not required immediately.

For residential applications, 10-Gigabit Ethernet matters in several emerging scenarios: multi-Gigabit internet service rollouts from ISPs in select markets (Google Fiber, Verizon Fios Gigabit Plus, AT&T 5 Gig, and others), high-bandwidth applications like 4K video editing or large file transfers from a NAS, and any installation where the homeowner wants to install premium cabling once and not need to re-cable for 15 to 20 years.

The 55-meter 10-Gigabit limit covers the practical run lengths for typical residential installations. A well-designed residential network has the network closet positioned centrally so that no wall jack is more than 55 meters of cable distance away. For a typical home, this means CAT 6 can deliver 10-Gigabit Ethernet to every wall jack in the home if and when the homeowner upgrades to 10-Gigabit equipment. For longer runs requiring full 100-meter 10-Gigabit operation, CAT 6a is the correct specification, but the cost premium of CAT 6a over CAT 6 is significant and often unjustified for installations where the 55-meter limit fits the actual home geometry.

CMR Riser Rating: Code-Compliant Multi-Floor Installation

The Southwire CAT 6 500 ft carries the CMR (Communications Multi-purpose Riser) jacket rating, which allows the cable to be installed in vertical riser runs between floors in non-plenum spaces while meeting NEC Article 800 fire safety requirements for flame spread between floors.

For multi-story residential installations, the CMR rating is essential because typical home structured cabling involves cable runs that cross between floors: from a basement network closet upward through stud bays to first-floor wall jacks, then continuing upward to second-floor jacks. CMR-rated cable handles this multi-floor routing without code violations, while non-rated cable would fail inspection in residential installations spanning multiple floors.

The CMR rating hierarchy: CMP (plenum, for HVAC air handling spaces) is the most restrictive, CMR (riser, this product) is the practical default for residential and commercial cabling, CM (general purpose, single-floor only) is less restrictive but limited in scope, and CMX (limited use) is approved only for dwelling installations and certain restricted applications. The CMR rating on the Southwire CAT 6 500 ft is the right specification for typical residential and commercial structured cabling because it covers both single-floor AND multi-floor installations without requiring jacket upgrade.

Drop Planning for 500 Feet of CAT 6 Cable

Planning a structured cabling project with the Southwire CAT 6 500 ft requires understanding typical drop lengths and total cable consumption. The 500-foot budget covers typical home installations with comfortable margin, but careful planning prevents running short on the last drop.

Typical residential drop length calculations: from a centrally-located network closet in a single-family home, the average distance to any wall jack is approximately 50 to 80 feet of cable. This includes vertical runs up stud bays from basement or first-floor network closets to upper floors, horizontal runs across ceilings or through joists to reach the wall location, and the final descent down the wall stud bay to the wall jack height. Add 5 to 10 feet at each end for termination slack and box service loop.

Total cable consumption estimates for typical project sizes:

• 4 drops: 200 to 320 feet (50-80 ft per drop average). The Southwire CAT 6 500 ft covers this comfortably with 35-60% material remaining for future expansion.
• 5 drops: 250 to 400 feet. Comfortable fit with material remaining for repair runs or future additions.
• 6 drops: 300 to 480 feet. Good fit within the 500-foot budget with minimal material remaining.
• 7 drops: 350 to 560 feet. Right at the practical maximum. Plan carefully; consider the 1000 ft format if any drop will be unusually long.
• 8+ drops: 400+ feet typical, can exceed 500 feet. The Southwire CAT 6 1000 ft is the better choice for this scale.

Plan some buffer into your estimates. Cable always gets consumed in slightly larger quantities than the theoretical drop calculation predicts, due to routing variations, termination slack, and minor errors during the install. Plan for 10 to 15 percent buffer over your calculated total consumption.

Southwire CAT 6 500 ft Specifications

Southwire CAT 6 500 ft FAQs

Who the Southwire CAT 6 500 ft Is Built For

The Southwire CAT 6 500 ft serves four clear buyer types. The first is the homeowner doing premium structured cabling rough-in for a new home construction or major remodel, typically covering 4 to 7 wall-jack drops throughout the home. For these buyers, the 500-foot pull box matches actual project consumption while delivering the lowest per-foot price in the CAT 6 lineup. The premium specification provides meaningful future-proofing for the 15-20 year cabling lifespan that most homeowners expect.

The second buyer is the smart home installer specifying premium cabling for IoT-rich residential installations. For these buyers, the PoE++ capability of CAT 6 matters significantly because smart home installations typically include multiple PoE-powered devices (wireless access points, IP security cameras, smart-home hubs, video doorbells). The Southwire CAT 6 500 ft delivers cleaner PoE power than CAT 5e through its thicker 23 AWG conductors, which improves device reliability and reduces voltage drop concerns.

The third buyer is the small contractor handling residential structured cabling on remodel or addition projects. For these contractors, the 500-foot length matches typical residential job consumption while keeping per-project material cost predictable. The best-per-foot pricing in the CAT 6 lineup also matters because residential contractors typically pass material cost through to homeowners, and lower wholesale cost translates to better project margins or more competitive pricing.

The fourth buyer is the small business owner adding premium Ethernet infrastructure to a small office, professional practice, or retail space where 4 to 7 workstation drops are needed. For these buyers, the 500-foot length covers small business installations comfortably while the CAT 6 specification supports modern business networking including video conferencing, cloud applications, and PoE-powered phones and access points. Browse the broader IB Lighting electrical and cable collection for related products.

CAT 6 500 ft vs 100 ft: When Each Format Is Right

The choice between the Southwire CAT 6 500 ft and the smaller Southwire CAT 6 100 ft is driven by project size: are you running multiple cables or one specific cable?

Choose the Southwire CAT 6 500 ft (this product) when your project covers multiple drops (4 to 7 typical), when you are doing complete home structured cabling rough-in, when you want the best per-foot price in the CAT 6 lineup, when your total consumption is in the 200 to 500 foot range, or when you anticipate future drops or repair runs that will benefit from having extra cable on hand.

Choose the Southwire CAT 6 100 ft when your project is a single cable run (50 to 100 feet), when you are repairing or replacing one specific damaged existing run, when you are making custom-length patch cables for a small server rack, when you specifically want to avoid leftover cable storage, or when the lowest absolute total purchase cost matters more than per-foot economics.

The 100-foot format costs more per foot but the lowest total purchase ($30 vs $87). The 500-foot format costs less per foot and matches typical multi-drop project consumption. The decision depends purely on how much cable you actually need: under 100 feet, the 100-foot format wins; over 100 feet, the 500-foot format wins on per-foot economics.

CAT 6 500 ft vs 1000 ft: When Each Format Is Right

The choice between the Southwire CAT 6 500 ft and the larger Southwire CAT 6 1000 ft is driven by project scale. Surprisingly, the per-foot economics favor the smaller 500-foot format, which makes the buying decision counterintuitive compared to typical “buy bigger for better unit pricing” logic.

Choose the Southwire CAT 6 500 ft (this product) when your project consumes 200 to 500 feet of cable, when you specifically want the lowest per-foot cost in the CAT 6 lineup, when you do not want leftover cable storage after the project ends, when this is a one-time installation rather than ongoing contractor work, or when total purchase price matters as much as per-foot economics.

Choose the Southwire CAT 6 1000 ft when your project consumes more than 500 feet of cable, when you are doing commercial new construction or multi-residential structured cabling with 8 or more drops, when you do multiple structured cabling projects over time and the leftover material amortizes across projects, when storage for cable inventory is not a concern, or when you anticipate future projects that will use the remaining cable.

For projects right at the boundary (around 500 feet of expected consumption), the math depends on your specific situation. If you have other future projects that will consume any leftover material, the 1000-foot format becomes economic. If this is a one-time project with no expected future cable use, the 500-foot format is the better choice both economically and in terms of avoiding leftover storage.

CAT 6 500 ft vs CAT 5e 500 ft: Premium vs Budget at the Same Length

At the same 500-foot length, the choice between the Southwire CAT 6 500 ft and the equivalent Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft is purely about premium specification versus budget specification. Both products serve typical 4 to 7 drop residential and small commercial installations; the question is whether CAT 6 capability is worth the price premium for your specific project.

Choose the Southwire CAT 6 500 ft (this product) when premium specification matters for the installation. This includes new construction with long expected cabling lifespans, installations with significant PoE++ powered devices, projects where 10-Gigabit Ethernet may be needed for future hardware upgrades, smart home installations with extensive IoT equipment, or any installation where the modest CAT 6 price premium is justified by the performance and future-proofing advantages.

Choose the Southwire CAT 6 500 ft when budget genuinely matters and Gigabit Ethernet performance is sufficient. This includes typical existing-home retrofits where the homeowner is adding network infrastructure without major construction work, installations where the homeowner’s internet service speed is well below Gigabit capacity, projects where the existing infrastructure is CAT 5e and matching the specification simplifies the installation, and any installation where the cost savings of CAT 5e are meaningful relative to the total project budget.

For most new construction and major remodel projects, CAT 6 is the right premium choice because the cost premium is modest relative to the total project cost and the future-proofing benefits are real. For most existing-home retrofit projects where budget matters, CAT 5e delivers everything the typical home network actually needs.

Browse the complete IB Lighting electrical and cable collection, step up to Southwire CAT 6 1000 ft for larger projects, step down to Southwire CAT 6 100 ft for single-cable runs, compare with the equivalent-length Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft if Gigabit performance is sufficient, explore other Southwire products, pair structured cabling with a Tesla Universal Wall Connector for home automation projects, consider a Generac standby generator for outage protection that keeps your network and PoE devices running, or visit our customer FAQ hub. Manufacturer technical sheets are available at the official Southwire website.